Glass washing machine



June 3, 1952 H. c. HUSEMANN 2,599,455

GLASS WASHING MACHINE Filed July 31. 1948 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLASSy WASHING MACHINE Henry C. Husemann, St. Louis, Mo.

Application July 31, 1948, Serial No. 41,775

This invention relates to glass-washing machines, its principal object being to provide a machine of this kind which, while performing with the maximum of efciency will at the same time be of such simple construction as to permit its manufacture at the minimum of expense. The most important feature of my machine is that it washes both the inside and the outside of the glasses being cleansed simultaneously, an advantage which I have been unable to nd in glass-washing machines heretofore produced. Another advantage of my device is that it requires the minimum of time and attention on the part of the operator, and since it is intended primarily for use in taverns, restaurants, and the like, the saving of the operators time becomes an important item.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my glass-washing machine'illustrating particularly the conveyor for supporting glasses above the Water tank during the cleansing operation. p

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 22, Fig. l, showing particularly the conveyor and the means for spraying water therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2, showing a tumbler being subject to simultaneous internal and external cleansing. 4

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of a section of the conveyor.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5 5, Fig. 4. v

The invention comprises a water tank I which rests upon a supporting frame having vertical end members A connected by a floor B. At one side of the water tank I and near an end thereof a pulley 2 is mounted on an axis 3 which extends interiorly of the tank I from side to side thereof and is journaled in the longitudinal walls of said tank. -A motor 4 is mounted exteriorly of the tank upon an extension 5 near the pulley 2, said extension projecting outwardly from the wall on which said pulley is mounted, and a belt 6 connects the pulley 2 and the motor 4 for operation of said pulley by said motor. Interiorly of the tank I a drum 'I is mounted upon the axis 3 of the pulley 2 for rotation therewith. Also interiorly of the tank I and near the end opposite the pulley 2 a drum 8, similar to the drum 'I, is

rotatably mounted upon an axis 9 extending between and journaled in the longitudinal walls of the tank I, and a conveyor` I0 passes over the drums 'I and 8 so that upon rotation of said drums the conveyor I Il travels longitudinally of the tank 1 Claim. (Cl. 134-130) I. The conveyor I0 is of peculiar formation, as will be hereinafter set forth, and from what has been said it is obvious that the conveyor I0 is operated through the agency of the motor 4.

A second motor I I is positioned upon the floor B approximately midway between the end members A, and a pair of pumps I2 and I3, respectively, are also positioned upon the floor B so that there is one of said pumps between the motor II and each of the end members A. From an opening I4 in the water tank I, a pipe I5 leads downwardly to the pump I2. A housing I6 is superimposed upon the water tank I and extends' upwardly thereover, said housing being of approximately the same length as theframe upon which the tank rests and being of the same width as said tank, and a pipe I'I leads upwardly from the pump I2to a point somewhat short of the to-p` of the housing I6 and exteriorly of said housing and tank. Through an opening in the side wall of the water tank I a horizontal pipe I8 leads from the pipe I'I to the opposite side wall of saidtank, where it terminates and is rigidly secured; At the upper extremity of the pipe I1 through an opening in the side wall of the housing I6 a similar horizontal pipe I9 leads from the pipe I1 to the opposite wall of said housing, where it also terminates and is rigidly secured.

From an opening 20 in the water tank I apipe 2| leads downwardly to the pump I3, and a pipe 22 leads upwardly from said pump to a point somewhat short of the top of the housing I6, also exteriorly of said housing and tank. Through an opening in the side wall of the water tank I a horizontal pipe 23 leads from the pipe 22 to the opposite wall of said tank, where it terminates and is rigidly secured. At the upper extremity of the pipe 22 through an opening in the side wall of the housing I 6, a similar horizontal pipe 24 leads from the pipe 22 to the opposite wall of said housing, where it also terminates and is rigidly secured. The upper surfaces of the horizontal pipes I8 and 23 and the lower surfaces of the horizontal pipes I9 and 24 are perforated, as shown at I8 and I9' in the pipes I8 and I9 (Fig. 2), for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

As mentioned above, the conveyor I0 is of peculiar formation, which will now be described and which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. AThe conveyor comprises a plurality of very*v small spiral springs 25 closely interlaced as shown in the detail View Fig. 5, and from these two vie'ws'itl will be apparent that this construction offers a multiplicity of very small interstices in the conveyorlIIIj-the close interlacing of the springs 25l at the same time providing the conveyor with a flat surface upon which the glass tumblers being cleansed are supported, as shown in Fig. 3. The purpose of the interstices between the springs 25 will be later set forth.

In operation the procedure is as follows:

Through an inlet pipe 2B water from any convenient source of water supply is permitted to ow continuously into the tank I, the pipe 26 being provided with a control valve 21 to regulate the flow. At the center of the tank I a partition 28 extends upwardly into the tank from the floor thereof, but this partition terminates at a point short of the top of the tank, as shown at 29. spaced away from the top 29 of the partition 28, a curved supporting member 30 for the lower por-- tion of the conveyor Iii extends transversely across the tank I, this supporting member being positioned at such height as to lift this portion of the conveyor slightly, the purpose of the supporting member 30 being to provide a spacel be'- tween the conveyor and the partition top 29. From the above it will be seen that theI partition 28 divides the tank into chambers C and D which communicate through the space between the conveyor and the partition top 29, so that. water flowing into the tank chamber C through the inlet 26, as mentioned above, will flow over the partition 28 and into the chamber D.

Through the opening I4 some of the water in the chamber C of the tank I iiows down through the pi-pev I5 to the pump I2, whence, through the agency of the motor II, it` is pumped up through the pipe II and into the transverse pipes I3 and i9. In the same manner, some of the water in chamber D of said tank flows down from the opening 20 through the pipe 2Iv to the pump I3, whence, also through the agency of the motor I I, it is pumped up through the pipe 22 and into the transverse pipes 23 and 24.

When the motor 4 is set in motion, through the agency of the belt 6 it rotates the pulley 2 and therefore the axis 3 and the drum 1 mounted thereon, and since the conveyor III passes over both the drums 1 and 8 it is obvious that rotation of the drum I will, by virtue of the conveyor In, also rotate the drum 8; that is to say, while the motor 4 is in operation the conveyor IU will travel continuously through rotation of the drums 'I and 8.

Near the end of the structure where Water fiows into the tank through the inlet 26 and positioned above the tank, I provide a container 3| for a non-toxic sterilizing agent, said container being provided with a pipe 32 through which the sterilizing agent is dropped at predetermined intervals into the chamber C of the water tank. Each of the end walls of the housing is cut out to permit the glasses being cleansed to enter and leave said housing, and to prevent splashing of water through said cut-outs I suspend curtains 33 and 34, respectively, inside the housing near the cutouts. These curtains are of light, flexible, waterproof material, for instance, plastic. At the end of the tank opposite the end where the water inlet 26 is located I provide a water outlet 35.

The structure is now ready for the reception of glass tumblers E to be cleansed, as follows:

A tumbler E is placed by the operator upon the portion of the conveyor which extends above the chamber D, so that as the conveyor travels it will. carry said tumbler along and the tumbler will enter the housing I6 through one of the cut-outs. the exibility of the curtain 33 permitting it to be pushed aside by the entering tumbler. As the tumbler E continues to travel it reaches a position between the perforated pipes 23 and 24, and still continuing its progress it reaches a position between the perforated pipes I8 and I9; and the further progress of said tumbler on the moving conveyor I0 pushes aside the flexible curtain 34 and carries the tumbler through the cut-out at that end of the housing I6 and beyond said housing, and upon its emergence from the housing it may be lifted from the: conveyor by the operator.

As said above, during its progress the tumbler E passes, respectively, between the pipes 23 and 24 and between the pipes I8 and I9. The action of these two sets of pipes is identical, and for the sake of brevity I will describe here and have illustrated in Fig. 3 the action as taking place when the tumbler is in position between the pipes I8 and I9'. It will be remembered that the pump t2 pumps water through the said transverse pipes and that such pipes are perforated as at I8.' and I9', respectively. It will also. be recalled that the. conveyor I-I) is` of peculiar construction which has been described above.. and that itl includes a multiplicity of smallv interstices between` a multiplicity of small spiral springs 25. As the water inthe tank chamber A is pumped into the pipe I8 it escapes therefrom through the perforations i8 and passes. through such interstices in the conveyor, and4 due to. the peculiar formation imparted to the conveyor by the interlaced spiral springs, as the water is sprayed therethrough` it attainsv a whirling motion, shown at 36 in Fig. 3 and from this figure it. will be seerthat such whirling spray has the effect of cleansing the entire inside of the tumbler E. At the same time the water escaping from the transverse pipe I 9 through the perforations Il' sprays the outside of the tumbler E. Thus it is obvious thatboth. the inside and the outside of the tumbler are being simultaneously cleansed without manipulation thereof by the operator.

From the above description it willr be understood that the conveyor travels in a direction to carryy the tumblers from a position over the chamber D to a position over the chamber C of the water tank I. However, the flow of water in the tank is in the opposition direction, since the inlet 26 is in the chamber C and the outlet 35 in the chamber D. As the water enters the chamber C it is constantly being sterilized from the container 3|, and this water ows from the chamber C into the chamber D over the partition 28 through the space between the top 29 of that partition and the supporting member 30 over whichthe conveyor I0 passes.

As the soiled tumblers are carried on the conveyor over the chamber D they reach a position between the perforated transverse pipes 23 and 24, where they are subjected to the same spraying action of the water as previously described in connection with the pipes I8 and I9. It is obvious that the first washing of the glasses therefore takes place over the chamber D, and the water which has been soiled from such contact with the soiled tumblers falls back into said chamber through the interstices of the conveyor I0. The glasses continue to travel on the conveyor and thus come over the chamber C and reach the position previously described between the transverse perforated pipes I8 and I9 for the spraying which also has been previously described. However, at this time the tumblers are already comparatively clean from their first cleansing between the pipes 23 and 24, so that the water which falls back into the chamber C through the conveyor interstices from the perforated pipes I8 and I9 is cleaner than that in the chamber D, and also the Water in the chamber C is being constantly replenished with fresh water through the inlet 26. Therefore, it will be seen that the water sprayed on the glasses from the chamber C to give them their nal rinsing is fresh as well as being sterilized and completes the cleansing operation which was commenced between the pipes 23 and 24. The soiled water, of course, is constantly escaping through the outlet 35.

As the tumblers continue to travel on the conveyor after their final rinsing, they leave the housing I6 by pushing up the exible curtain 34 and passing through the cut-out in the housing at that end, whereupon the operator lifts the clean glasses from the conveyor and they are ready for further use.

I claim:

A glass-washing machine comprising pairs of Water-ejecting elements for simultaneously cleansing the interior and exterior of the glasses being Washed, a movable member on which said glasses are carried to positions for said simultaneousl interior and exterior cleansing, means for continuously moving said movable member, and means for continuously supplying Water to said pairs of elements, said movable member being locatedbetween one element of each pair of Water-ejecting elements and the glasses being washed, and being formed of a multiplicity of small spiral springs to permit passage of water from one element of each of said pairs of elements therethrough and simultaneously convert such Water into a whirling mist.

HENRY C. HUSEMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,671 Speer Apr. 17, 1928 1,719,410 Webb July 2, 1929 1,987,231 Engel Jan. 8, 1935 2,418,934 Hirsch Apr. 15, 1947 

